Stroller THEFT

[ObsessedwithWDW]

Quick question we are going to Disney in September I just went out and bought the Maclaren Quest and now I am concerned someone will steal it while we are on a ride! Has this happened to many of you? Any way to PREVENT this from happening? Can I lock my stroller up or will I look like a psycho????

 

[beattyfamily]

It can happen but it is rare; I've only read of one or two who did have their stroller stolen since I've been a member of the board.

Just make sure to make your stroller stand out with some ribbons or a balloon, or your name on it. That helps since there will be 100s of Maclaren Quests (I'll have one).

Also, the CMs move the strollers often to make room for more so don't be alarmed if your stroller isn't where you left it.

Lastly, do not leave anything of value in your basket. That is what I hear the most (although still not that often compared to the amount of people that visit Disney each day); people's stuff getting stolen from the basket.

I would go and enjoy my trip with no worries but just being cautious.

I've gone on 9 trips so far, 2 with my Maclaren Quest, and nothing was ever stolen. Of course, it could happen but the odds are it won't.

 

[Em_in_FL]

Coming from EXPERIENCE.... here's our story...
We've had annual passes for 2 1/2 years... and go every week... so we're upping our statistics right there...

I was worried about this as well... but we're cheap and just use 2 umbrella strollers. We keep everything of value in our backpack (and leave maps and a few cheap toys in the stroller bag)...
We had two matching umbrella strollers (with sunshades) parked in MK at Tomorrowland... and it started to rain. So, I believe someone wanted to trade their stroller for one with a shade ... we got our of our ride and a cheaper-looking umbrella stroller was right next to our ONE stroller...
YUP, it was stolen. We called lost and found and it was never recovered.

Don't stress about locking your stroller... it really really rare...

Just use precautions... try to put MAJOR name labels ALL OVER IT and don't leave any "Disney" bags (with purchases) or any personal items in or on the stroller...

Good luck, but don't stress... it's way too rare...

 

[Tosie]

It can happen but it is rare; I've only read of one or two who did have their stroller stollen since I've been a member of the board.

Just make sure to make your stroller stand out with some ribbons or a balloon, or your name on it. That helps since there will be 100s of Maclaren Quests (I'll have one).

Also, the CMs move the strollers often to make room for more so don't be alarmed if your stroller isn't where you left it.

Lastly, do not leave anything of value in your basket. That is what I hear the most (although still not that often compared to the amount of people that visit Disney each day); people's stuff getting strollen from the basket.

I would go and enjoy my trip with no worries but just being cautious.

I've gone on 9 trips so far, 2 with my Maclaren Quest, and nothing was ever strollen. Of course, it could happen but the odds are it won't.

"Strollen" hee heee heeee....sorry, couldn't resist!

 

[ObsessedwithWDW]

OH COOL I appreciate your thoughts I think I am going to write our name on the stroller with BLACK PERMANENT MARKER....with a last name like mine I doubt anyone will want my stroller. I don't want to stress about this at all but my DD will only be 10 months when we go so its not gonna be good if I have to RENT a stroller b/c someone took mine. PLUS you spend all this $$ to make your child comfy and then someone takes it I'll be OK any other ideas on keeping my stroller safe would be appreciated and I KNOW its only $200.00 BUT STILL.

 

[beattyfamily]

"Strollen" hee heee heeee....sorry, couldn't resist!

ops! I was combining the two words I guess!

 

[3littleHalls]

Saying the same things. We have taken our double stroller(Maclaren) and our single(Mac Quest) and not had anything taken(knock on wood) I would freak out and get unpleasant if someone took our stroller, but I have yet to lock them. I don't think you are allowed to chain it to anything, but you can put a lock on your stroller where it won't fold. But that makes it hard on you if you take it on transportation. Now I have had to hunt for our stroller b/c the strollers get moved quite a bit by CMs.

 

[Schmeck]

You can always lock the two front wheels together so the stroller won't roll nicely, but the CMs could still move it and line it up with the other strollers. You just can't lock it to anything at WDW...

 

[sukhakuli]

We go to Disneyland and Sea World a few times a month, and we have a Chariot double, which is about a $500 stroller. It has never been stolen. I did one time have a problem at the mall with one of my Pegs; I caught a woman putting her baby in it. She told me she was just trying it out, but I don't buy it.

Anyway, I never leave anything valuable in the stroller just in case, but I don't worry about people stealing it. I always put the brake on, and unless you know this type of stroller well, the brake is hard to find, and it locks the back wheels tight, so it isn't going anywhere. One stroller tip for you, everytime you go on a ride and leave the stroller put a rain cover on it. Every. single. time. Even if it doesn't look like rain. I can't tell you how many times we came out of an attractions and it had rained and soaked the strollers that weren't covered.

 

[TravelinGal]

We took a bike chain/lock and locked one front wheel to the frame so it wouldn't roll when we were away from the stroller for more than a few minutes. A few CM tried to tell us we couldn't lock it (like at the Tree of Life for the Tough to be a bug show) but I insisted. I said they could move it if necessary by tipping it back and only using the rear wheels. They said NO again and I looked at them, knelt down and locked the one wheel. It had been moved when we came out, which I expected. Just wish I could have found the same CM and said "see, it was FINE for you to move, but nobody would steal a stroller that they had to push around like that all day"

It sucks, but people have cranky kids who they didn't bring a stroller for and voilà - there's an empty one. It's such a big place and they don't want to walk to the front to rent one, so they grab one that is EASY to take.

 

[Not so Dumbo]

We didn't have a problem with it however, I'm still reluctant to bring our expensive one. Last trip we bought 2 umbrollers for our sons. They were only $10 a piece. For our next trip we will need a stroller that will recline for our baby so I just picked one up at a garage sale for like $20. It's still cheaper than renting one everyday and if it does get stollen I'm not out a ton of money

 

[Harmony]

We also have an expensive stroller and were concerned about it being 'strollen.' (sorry, I couldn't resist either but don't you think that's the perfect word for it? )

Anyhoo...when we were at a show or on a ride, my DH would use a bike lock to lock the wheels together. This still allows the CM's to move the stroller if they need to but it also makes it really hard for someone to steal it, unless of course, they don't minding dragging a stroller with locked wheels all over WDW.

 

[beattyfamily]

We also have an expensive stroller and were concerned about it being 'strollen.' (sorry, I couldn't resist either but don't you think that's the perfect word for it? )

Anyhoo...when we were at a show or on a ride, my DH would use a bike lock to lock the wheels together. This still allows the CM's to move the stroller if they need to but it also makes it really hard for someone to steal it, unless of course, they don't minding dragging a stroller with locked wheels all over WDW.

I think I've invented a new DIS word!

 

[karenTX]

We also have an expensive stroller and were concerned about it being 'strollen.' (sorry, I couldn't resist either but don't you think that's the perfect word for it? )

Anyhoo...when we were at a show or on a ride, my DH would use a bike lock to lock the wheels together. This still allows the CM's to move the stroller if they need to but it also makes it really hard for someone to steal it, unless of course, they don't minding dragging a stroller with locked wheels all over WDW.

I bought a bike lock in order to do this but then realized that you can't run a lock through the wheels on the Mac Quest.

Anyone ever locked a Quest? How'd you do it?

Thanks!

 

[Deb & Bill]

Get a Club!

 

[kaysmommie]

OH COOL I appreciate your thoughts I think I am going to write our name on the stroller with BLACK PERMANENT MARKER....with a last name like mine I doubt anyone will want my stroller. I don't want to stress about this at all but my DD will only be 10 months when we go so its not gonna be good if I have to RENT a stroller b/c someone took mine. PLUS you spend all this $$ to make your child comfy and then someone takes it I'll be OK any other ideas on keeping my stroller safe would be appreciated and I KNOW its only $200.00 BUT STILL.

I would try the dirty diaper trick. Take a plastic bag and pour cola over the diaper so it looks like baby had the poops and put it in the bag and tie to the stroller. Make sure it is noticable. I actually resorted to this on my first trip and we use a rental stroller. Also a balloon is a good idea too. Do they sell them in the park for a reasonable price?

 

[SpectroMouse]

I too have been worried about stroller theft, this will be my first trip with baby He will be eleven months old, and I hate to think that our memories of his 1st trip would include a stolen stroller and all the hassle involved!

 

[TravelinGal]

I bought a bike lock in order to do this but then realized that you can't run a lock through the wheels on the Mac Quest.

Anyone ever locked a Quest? How'd you do it?

Thanks!

Hmm... That's a tough one. Let's see...


Can the front wheels be removed fairly easily? I know a lot of times they are not installed when you get a new stroller, so that means the do come off somehow. Could you remove one wheel and take it in your bag and then just pop it back on when you come back? It's as good as locked - nobody will waste their time trying to take a stroller that is missing a wheel - they can't push thier kid in it!

 

[all4fun]

I haven't read all the responses but we've been to WDW 4x (almost a month overall) with two different strollers and never had any problems. They've been moved by cm's before but have never gone missing thank goodness.

If you're really concerned I have read you can thread a bike lock through the bottom so that it can't be folded up (somehow, I've never tried it). If you can make it not fold then even if someone "borrowed" it for a day it is very likely they wouldn't leave the park with it because they wouldn't be able to fold it to get on transport or put it in the trunk of their car.

Definitely mark it in visible and in not so visible locations with some personal identification marks (I have written contact info on the underside of mine). This way if it does get "lost" & found, then someone can reach you to let you know.

I don't know about that dirty diaper trick...I read about that about 10yrs ago in the Unoffical Guide to WDW book and have seen it mentioned many times on the Dis, so I think it's a pretty well-known trick. Not sure how well that would work! (plus, who wants something that looks like a dirty diaper hanging off of their nice stroller, lol). jmho.

 

[kldmom2000]

I had the same concerns when I was going with our brand-new Maclaren stroller in 12/04. I bought a bike chain lock with me intending to lock the wheels so they couldn't fold since you can't lock it to any structures in case a CM needs to move it... I found that after the first few hours of locking the wheels, it got to be a major pain in the butt so I just left it with all the others from that point on-never left any valuables in it and I did have tags all over it to make it stand out for us to find it easily. We don't intend to bring the lock of course on this upcoming trip and will just hope for the best!